1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a device management apparatus and a device management method for applying a setting value to a plurality of devices connected thereto via a network.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, device management apparatuses have been developed to perform setting of various setting items collectively for a plurality of devices connected thereto via a network (e.g., Japanese Patent No. 4243524). Japanese Patent No. 4243524 discloses a configuration in which, to perform setting on a plurality of devices collectively, the devices are categorized based on the capability of each of the devices, items that can be set collectively for the devices having different setting availability depending on the categories are determined, and a setting process for the items is determined. Applying this technology allows a user to perform the setting of the devices on the network with his/her terminal through the device management apparatus without going off to the devices thus managed.
However, conventional device management apparatuses including the device management apparatus disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 4243524 need to recognize fixed information related to the setting items to be set to each of the devices to be managed in advance. If a new setting item is added to a device newly launched to the market, the new setting item thus added is a setting item not being recognized by the device management apparatus. As a result, the device management apparatus cannot handle the new setting item.